The powerful 'Whose Streets?' documentary comes to Cinema Detroit

Rallies across southeastern Michigan Sunday pledged solidarity with anti-racism counter-protests in Charlottesville, Va., after violent weekend clashes led to the death of one demonstrator.
Matthew Dolan, Detroit Free Press

An activist in documentary 'Whose Streets?', which shows the peaceful efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement following the shooting death of Michael Brown.(Photo: Autumn Lin Photography / Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

Among the chants uttered by neo-Nazis and white supremacists marching with torches last Friday in Charlottesville was, "Whose streets? Our streets!"

It's a phrase long associated with protests for equality, not hatred. And even as hate groups were appropriating it for their Charlottesville, Va, rally, an acclaimed documentary titled "Whose Streets?" was arriving at theaters with a message of speaking out against systemic racism.

"Whose Streets?" explores what happened in Ferguson, Mo., in the aftermath of the 2014 killing of an unarmed African-American teenager, Michael Brown, by a white police officer.

Director Sabaah Folayan says her first reaction to hearing the chant used in Charlottesville last week was to feel repulsed.

"At the same time, it really reinforces the truth behind that title, behind that chant and behind the reality of the situation, which is that (such hate) isn't just some issue of blatant ignorance or lack of education or lack of empathy," says the filmmaker and activist.

"This is an active movement, an active ideology trying to spread their way of thinking and really take control of the streets, of the power structure."

"Whose Streets?," which opens today exclusively at Cinema Detroit, is returning to southeast Michigan after being featured at the 2017 Cinetopia Film Festival in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

The movie was praised at the Sundance Film Festival for its evocative look at the grief, discontent and anger of Ferguson's residents spurred by Brown's death and the tone-deaf, almost militaristic response of local authorities attempting to quell the emotions instead of addressing them.

A scene from 'Whose Streets?' shows protesters in Ferguson, Mo., after the killing of an unarmed teen by a police officer.(Photo: Autumn Lin Photography / Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

Ferguson erupted into civil unrest that the movie doesn't shy away from showing. But the filmmakers stick around for weeks and months to get to the heart of the frustration and document the rise of a grassroots movement that continues to fight in the name of justice.

Those handicapping the field for the 2018 Oscars are putting "Whose Streets?" on their short lists of possible best documentary nominees.

Folayan, an activist and filmmaker, teamed up with her co-director, Damon Davis, an artist in St. Louis, to chronicle a community that felt under siege by the police and National Guard as it tried to respond with vigils and protests to the fatal police shooting of Brown.

The national media coverage of what was happening in Ferguson painted a portrait of a city in chaos.

In contrast, "Whose Streets?" combines video shot by citizens of Ferguson and footage from the filmmakers, plus an assortment of social media messages, to create a vivid tapestry of people standing up for their rights and insisting that their voices be heard.

The film evocatively captures the racial divide in Ferguson — and in America — when it comes to persistent inequality. In a pivotal scene, a white resident talks about being scared by the situation in the city. He's followed by a black resident who shares her perspective.

Activist Brittany Ferrell and a crowd of protesters in a scene from 'Whose Streets?' documentary.(Photo: Magnolia Pictures)

"There are many people who have been fearful for two months," she says. "There are more people who've been fearful for two decades."

Folayan says that when she spoke to Ferguson's local government heads, their response was that they had faced such problems for many years and had implemented community policing initiatives to deal with them.

"It didn't seem to be occurring to them that maybe that meant it wasn't working," she says. "They were just kind of like, 'Yeah we're on it.' I think there was just a fundamental impasse that had been reached between people and the local government. Action is really what was needed and nobody was willing to do anything that gave a sense of justice."

According to Folayan, the documentary opened last week in the Ferguson area and has drawn a positive response, as it has from critics nationwide. She says such kudos inspire mixed emotions.

"Personally, as a filmmaker, it's been really an honor to be included in conversations about the filmmaking, about the quality of the art. To be recognized — you know, we were certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes — those things all feel really good. Sometimes it's really hard to celebrate those moments because it's rooted in something so painful and emotional. It's also a sign that people are really ready to hear this part of the story and want to understand things from this perspective."

Folayan has no easy answers for whether she’s encouraged or discouraged about the future.

“I don’t know. I guess it depends on the day. It depends on my mood,” she admits. “I think that this is why we’re here, as far as I rationalize my purpose to myself. We are here to constantly engage in struggle for what’s right and or what we believe is right or what can be the most positive and healing thing we can do.”

"Whose Streets?" is a valuable addition to the national conversation now under way post-Charlottesville. But Folayan stresses that much more than talk is needed.

"I think it all depends on what our choices are. It's not automatic that just because we're talking about something means it's going to be a positive outcome. But if we go from talking about it to being engaged in our personal spheres, (it might). That might mean being involved in a protest. It might mean signing a petition online. It might mean just speaking up when you see something wrong in your workplace or on a train on the way to work."

Says Folayan, "Until we start doing those things, it doesn't matter how much we're aware of."